Friday, July 4, 2008

Why They're Wrong, Part 7

Changing the definition of marriage, which has stood the test of time throughout human history until recent decades, is anything but conservative.

People like James A. Smith Sr., the author of this article, contend that marriage comes from God and has always been defined as the union of one man and one woman. This couldn't be further from the truth.

The way in which a marriage is conducted has changed over time, as has the institution itself. Although the institution of marriage pre-dates reliable recorded history, many cultures have legends or religious beliefs concerning the origins of marriage.

Marriage existed before all Christian beliefs and traditions, so how could it come from the Christian God? The Greeks and Romans, with their many, many Gods, had marriage, so clearly the origins aren't quite what people like Smith suggest.

Similarly, the idea that marriage has always been between one man and one woman ignores all available evidence. Polygamy was incredibly common throughout world history and is still common in some parts of the world today.

According to the Ethnographic Atlas Codebook, of the 1231 societies noted, 186 were monogamous. 453 had occasional polygyny, 588 had more frequent polygyny, and 4 had polyandry....

Plural marriages have been common in the history of Africa. Indigenous African religions have usually permitted it, as does Islam. Even many Christian churches in Africa have tolerated polygamy, although this stance has been changing: in May 2008, for example, the Anglican archbishop of Nigeria warned congregants to discontinue the practice....

Polygamy is encouraged in states such as Sudan, and is very common in West Africa (Muslim and traditionalist)....

Since the Han Dynasty, technically, Chinese men could have only one wife. However, throughout the thousands of years of Chinese history, it was common for rich Chinese men to have a wife and various concubines. Polygyny is a by-product of the tradition of emphasis on procreation and the continuity of the father's family name. Before the establishment of the Republic of China(Taiwan), it was lawful to have a wife and multiple concubines within Chinese marriage. An emperor, government official or rich merchant could have up to hundreds of concubines after marrying his first wife, or tai-tai....

The Chinese culture of Confucianism and thus the practice of polygyny spread from China to the areas that are now Korea and Japan. Before the establishment of the modern democratic mode, Eastern countries permitted a similar practice of polygyny....

After the Communist Revolution in 1949, polygamy was banned. This occurred via the Marriage Act of 1953....

In Hong Kong, polygamy was banned in October 1971. However, it is still practised in Hong Kong and Macau....

The Hebrew Bible indicates that polygyny was practised by the ancient Hebrews. Though the institution was not extremely common it was not particularly unusual and was certainly not prohibited or discouraged by the Bible. Nowhere in the Torah is monogamy established as a rule or even a desirable principle. The Bible mentions approximately forty polygamists, including such prominent figures as Abraham, Jacob, Esau, Moses, David and King Solomon, with little or no further remark on their polygyny as such....

As noted above, in the biblical days Jewish men were allowed more than one wife and concubinage (wives with less status) was also practised....

While the New Testament does not explicitly mention or ban polygamy, verses that teach on leadership (discussed below) forbid multiple marriage for church leaders; these verses are often interpreted to mean that marriage is between only one man and one woman....

In Islam, polygamy is allowed, with the specific limitation that men can only have up to four wives at any one time....

Both polygamy and polygyny were practised in ancient, medieval and early-modern times, among many sections of Hindu society....

I'm not suggesting that polygamy should be legal or is morally correct, just pointing out the verifiable fact that it has always been a common thing and that the claims that marriage has always been the same are simply nonsensical and are nothing more than a justification to encourage hate.

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This is a blog specifically designed to battle the agenda of conservative hate-mongers in Florida and beyond. This blog will document the hate from the right whether it be aimed at the LGBT community, women, African Americans, Hispanics, the poor and anyone else they decide to target. We'll also provide you with information as to what you can do about all this.